


Remarkable Vows

by foxanddanapetrie



Category: The X-Files
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst, MSR, Mulder and Scully - Freeform, Pre IWTB, Unremarkable house, post original finale
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-07
Updated: 2020-04-07
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:48:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23531857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/foxanddanapetrie/pseuds/foxanddanapetrie
Summary: Mulder has been collecting ideas for his vows to Scully ever since they met.  Scully finds them when they're moving into the unremarkable house.
Relationships: Fox Mulder/Dana Scully
Kudos: 26





	Remarkable Vows

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks again to absolutetosh for being my muse and hype woman. This one hurts

It started with a book of matches- the ones they give out for free at the motels. Lacking anything to write on, he grabbed the matches and wrote “tiptoes” across the back.

Eventually he upgraded to bigger scraps of paper - napkins, coasters, receipts, even on the backs of notes she’s leave him in the office. The notes got longer too- “The way she sits.”, “She spent Christmas Eve with me.”, and then the most recent one, “Home.”

He stood in his newly purchased yard looking into the windows of the unremarkable house thinking about how he finally really did settle down and stop running like she asked him all those years ago. He watches as she makes her way up the porch. 

He follows her into the soon to be organized office and opened a box marked “Mulder’s desk.” He takes out binders and legal pads, photo slides, and his nameplate. When he gets to the bottom he takes out a small box without a label. In it, are the many scraps of paper he’s collected of his favorite memories.  _ Things I can’t forget to thank her for. _

\-----------------------------------

It didn’t take them long to settle in their house. Their relationship was always like a perfect dance between two partners - knowing what the other one needs before they know themselves. They’ve approached the subject of marriage a few times, sometimes in a joking manner, and sometimes not. It’s safe to say at this point in their relationship, they’re as good as married anyway. But sometimes, Mulder thinks about being able to stand up in front of her and telling her just how much she means to him. A town hall, a park, a church -  _ Anywhere she wants. _

\-------------------------------------

“I think I left a folder from the hospital in here.”

He comes up behind her and puts his arms around her waist and rests his chin perfectly on her head. Her long red hair smells good. Smells like home. 

“I’m not sure, Scully I don’t think I’ve seen it.”

She turns around and nestles herself into him, her face buried in his chest and with a muffled voice she says, “As much as I would love to never leave this embrace, I really need to get this work done.”

He squeezes her and lets her go and she turns around and starts looking again. She opens the third drawer in his desk and finds the small box. At first she thinks it looks familiar.

“What’s this?” 

He turns from looking in the filing cabinet to look at her. 

“I’m not sure, something that probably came from the office.” He says trying to sound nonchalant hoping that she won’t open it.

She shrugs, and takes the cover of the box off and sets it on the desk.

_ Dammit Mulder when have you ever known her not to investigate. _

“Mulder what is this?” She says sifting through the scraps of paper. She picks one up. 

“Tiptoes?”

“Oh uh yeah I remember now. It must be just a pile of notes I threw together when emptying my desk. They probably have something to do with old cases.”  _ Why do you even try to lie, she knows you better than you know yourself. _

She puts the box down, “Mulderrr.” She says. “Tell me.”

“Ok.” He says with a joking pout, slouching his shoulders pretending to look defeated.

“They’re my vows, Scully.”

“What do you mean?” She says softening her eyes as she looks at him.

“I mean, I started keeping notes years ago...of things I would want to say to you if we ever...you know...got married.”

“Really?” She asks moving closer to him and grabbing his hands in hers. “Tell them to me.”

“Scully, I can’t just-”

“Marry me. Right here. Now. Tell me your vows.” She says as she hands him the box. He pushes it away.

“I don’t need it.” He says as he tucks her hair behind her ear and rests his hand on her cheek. “Scully, I first fell in love with you when you stood on your tiptoes to reach something off of the top shelf in my office.” Scully clears her throat. “ _ Our  _ office.” He continues. “You stood there so powerful, you knocked my socks off when we first met. But when you stood on your tiptoes, I knew. You were there for me without question. You heard me Scully when I thought I was just screaming into the void. Thank you for never leaving my side. 

There are so many things I love about you. I love your nose, I love your smile, I love your brain. I love how you fell asleep on my couch that day, or how you crossed your legs when we’d sit in the office. I love how you sang to me in the forest and how you fit perfectly under my chin like a jigsaw puzzle. I love that you trust me, that you confide in me, and that you let me be what you need me to be. Thank you for being my home. My everything. Thank you for making this house feel truly like I belong somewhere. Thank you for understanding me when I speak  _ and  _ when I’m silent. Thank you for saving me and thank you for being strong enough to keep our child safe.”

He’s noticed that a few tears have started rolling down her cheeks and she brushes them away without breaking eye contact with her soft, loving eyes.

“I have never known love like yours. That box is full of things I wanted to remember forever. Things I wanted to remember to thank you for but the truth is there aren’t words enough in the English language that can really thank you enough for what you’ve done for me. And when I started that box of notes, I didn’t realize at the time that you would be so unforgettable that I wouldn’t need to write anything down. I love you, Scully. I don’t know where I’d be without you.”

She wipes another few tears off her cheeks and her mouth falls slightly open. It stays open a few seconds before she can form any words. “Mulder I- I don’t know what I could say that could be anywhere near how I feel about you-”

“You don’t have to.” He says moving closer to her to run his fingers through her hair and pull her closer. “I already know.”


End file.
